


Three Princes and The Frog

by A_Tomb_With_A_View



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: And Then He Gets Loved, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bobby | Trevor Wilson-centric, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Reggie has fibromyalgia, This is kinda sad ngl, ace! Bobby | Trevor Wilson, and Julie is the best friend, for bits, not quite internalised aphobia but close enough, the start is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Tomb_With_A_View/pseuds/A_Tomb_With_A_View
Summary: Reggie wore his heart on his sleeve and in his smile, and love soaked Alex’s voice even when his words were barbed, and Luke had a notebook just for the feelings that were too big ever to be sung on stage, and Bobby knew it was split neatly into four: one for each of the three of them and one for the bad days, and the section titled Bobby was just as tear soaked and love-laden as the rest, and he knew that if he told them that he knew that they’d acted on the weird tension there always seemed to be between the three of them, that they would remind him there were four of them and invite him into the fold.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Alex Mercer, Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters, Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Luke Patterson, Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Reggie Peters, Flynn/Carrie Wilson
Comments: 41
Kudos: 168





	Three Princes and The Frog

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [we can make it so divine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921457) by [bytheinco_nstantmoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bytheinco_nstantmoon/pseuds/bytheinco_nstantmoon). 



> Hi kids! So,,, this is not exactly what I intended it to be,,,, but it’s close enough and honestly I’m quite proud of it, so I hope you enjoy!!! Inspired by this fucking *masterpiece* that I have read several times

Sometimes, Bobby liked to watch his boys interact and think about what it would be like if he was part of… whatever it was they were so clearly hiding from him.

It wasn’t that he thought they didn’t want him. 

Reggie wore his heart on his sleeve and in his smile, and love soaked Alex’s voice even when his words were barbed, and Luke had a notebook just for the feelings that were too big ever to be sung on stage, and Bobby knew it was split neatly into four: one for each of the three of them and one for the bad days, and the section titled Bobby was just as tear soaked and love-laden as the rest, and he knew that if he told them that he knew that they’d acted on the weird tension there always seemed to be between the three of them, that they would remind him there were four of them and invite him into the fold.

It wasn’t that he didn’t need them, either.

He needed all of them in a way that burned in his chest like cigarette smoke, and he loved them in a way that rushed over him in a twisting, deadly torrent that drowned and gave life in equal measures, and sometimes when one of them was missing or late, he’d end up with the other two tucked each into one side and the weight against him was so crushing it finally allowed him to breathe.

It was, when it came down to it, simply that he didn’t want them and they didn’t need him.

He’d known the former for a while now, even though it had taken time to fully sink in, that even though he wanted desperately to hold them and kiss them and call them his, he didn’t want the rest of it, not the naked skin or the wandering hands or the fingers in his hair that held him in place long past when his oxygen ran out. 

The latter had been true for as long as he’d known them, and although it always stung when he remembered, he’d never been the kind of person you needed, and he’d always known that. He’d known it when he was ten and his mom hadn’t come home for the last time, and he’d known it when he was thirteen and Carrie had asked if he could start walking to school by himself so she could go with her friends, and he’d known it when he was seventeen, the one and only time he’d tried to comfort Alex the way Reggie and Luke always seemed to do so effortlessly and received a glare vicious he’d done his best not to touch any of them for months, even though he’d inevitably fucked up on that front, and he was so fucking aware of it now, at twenty-two, every time he woke up alone and reached out for someone, before he reminded himself that they’d left practice at half eleven as they always did the night before, never remembering that you could see the whole street from his window and dissolving into kisses and easy touches as they piled into Alex’s car. 

He’d never really been one with much care for who told him what - each of them needed different things, and bad news went to Alex first and Reggie last, so that Alex felt well prepared and Reggie didn’t spend too much time with flares, and good news went to Alex last and Reggie first so that Alex didn’t have long enough to doubt it and Reggie could be happy for as long as possible, and Luke was always in the middle because too much time meant he steeped too much in things and too little meant he didn't have the songwriting time he needed to fully parse things out, and Bobby just found out when he found out and he’d never minded that at all - but there was something odd and heavy in his chest that insisted they weren’t telling him because love didn’t make them blind and they knew that if they offered he’d accept, helpless, and then everything would go wrong.

It was simply that the one time Reggie had kissed him two years ago they’d been unbelievably drunk and he’d wanted so badly to enjoy it and join them but there’d been fingers close to his waistband and a tongue in his mouth and for the first time it felt like what he needed was to be as far away from all of them as possible. 

He’d made other friends, sure. There was Willie, their photographer, who Alex had been hopeless for a couple of years ago, who stuck around once they broke up and was just about the only reason Bobby had enough strength to face his bandmates every day, and there was Flynn, their manage and Carrie’s girlfriend, who reminded him every day that what he had was  _ good _ , and there was Julie, an angel, who let him come over and eat shitty special fried rice from the place three blocks away that didn’t care that his face had been on the side of a bus and pretend for a night like he wasn’t stupid in love with three people who loved him back. The problem was that they were friends of the whole band, and as Luke had always joked, the rhythm guitarist was the easiest to replace. 

So instead of rocking the boat and risking losing everything in one fell swoop, he just spent every day hoping against hope that someone would kiss him again so he could shove it all down and finally get something close to what he wanted, and praying to a god he didn’t believe in that they would never mention it, so that when they left - and they would, because he may not be a person for needing but by god was he good for leaving - and it broke him beyond recognition, at least the pieces of him left would be big enough to push back together into some rough lookalike. 

But if things went his way, he never would’ve ended up in this position to begin with, so  _ obviously _ , his idiot bandmates decided that the way to go was open and honest communication for the first time in their entire lives. 

He was suspicious when Reggie chose to drop in his lap even though the three of them walked in at the same time and Bobby always chose the armchair so they could fit in the couch, and when Alex perched on the arm and started playing with the hairs at the base of his neck his heart starting pounding so hard he didn’t even register Luke settling on his other side, and when it finally hit him he chest felt tight enough that he finally thought he had an inkling of what Reggie must feel like after a bad day. 

“So, Bertie,” Luke started, as he always did, not braver than his boys, but never willing to make them prove it. “There are some conversations we need to have.”

Bobby wrinkled his nose at the nickname, but quickly flashed him a smile and hoped it looked as easy and elastic as Reggie always did when he was lying once he’d processed the rest of what Luke had said. “Is this where you tell me that the three of you are together, and you want my blessing, yada yada, will it change anything with the band, yada yada? Because if so, then, of course, you have my blessing, I’d be blind if I couldn’t see how much happier you three mooks are since you got your heads out of your asses, and no it won’t change anything with the band, as long as there’s no funny business where my guitar can see, she’s only a baby.” 

“Wait,” Reggie frowned, “You knew?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “I told you guys he’d figure it out.”

“Yeah, you guys know I can see the whole street from my window, right?” Bobby raised both eyebrows, winking teasingly at Reggie in case it was one of those days he’d deciding to be far too in-tune with Bobby’s feelings. “And, like, when you decide against your car is the best makeout spot… it’s directly in front of my reading bay window seat?”

“Shit, Bobbert, we’re so sorry,” Alex said immediately cheeks flushing as red as Bobby had expected. 

What he had not expected was for Luke to actually be capable of ignoring it for once, and continuing on with the conversation at hand instead of taking the chance to tease or even kiss him, now that he knew Bobby was okay with that.

“Boys, that’s not the conversation we planned on having,” he reminded them, eyes intense when he glanced pointedly at Bobby, like he knew he was intentionally dragging them off track. Usually Luke wasn’t the most perceptive, feelings-wise, but apparently, he’d stolen the emotionally cognisant brain cell off his boyfriends for the day.

Bobby swallowed thickly and hoped no one could hear his throat working nervously. “What, uh, what did you wanna talk about? Is it that new song you’re writing about Julie and that girl from the boujie coffee place - the one about watching your little sister grow up and fall in love? Because I don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to about that, I had no nostalgia or bittersweetness when Care and Flynn started dating, Flynn can outdrink me two shots to one, and if she wasn’t a lesbian and in love with my hell-raising, demon-spawn twin, and I wasn’t solely into men, I’d probably’ve proposed to her the first time I saw her drink sixty percent vodka without blinking.”

Luke’s lip twitched like it always did when he was trying to stay serious and Bobby made a dig at his sister, like she wasn’t his favourite Wilson. “Shut  _ up _ , Bobinald, and you really should be nicer to your sister. No, um, we wanted to ask you if you wanted to maybe…”

“Join us!” Reggie blurted when it seemd Luke had run out of words. “Oh my god, i’m glad we finally got there, the suspense was killing me. Bobbers, wanted to ask if you wanted to join us.”

Bobby had lied a lot in his life. He’d lied about where his mom was, and who’d signed his homework, and why he’d spent four hours in the shower under water so hot it burned two years ago. None of them had ever felt anywhere close to as awful as the confused smile he plastered across his face then. “Join you with what? Road trip? Country album? You know I could shred steel guitar, man you don’t gotta ask. Ooh-”

“In our relationship, moron,” Alex cut in, shoving Bobby’s head with painful fondness. “On dates, in bed, at - well, we don’t have a “home” as such yet, because we felt weird going in on a place together when you already had your own from your dad, but eventually - at Maccies at four am. Join us like that.”

Bobby knew rationally that they hadn’t chosen their positioning to trap him. It was probably meant to be reassuring, or romantic, or a way to make sure they were all equidistant, but all he could think about was Reggie in his lap and how he couldn’t move and the sorts of situations that might result in a reoccurrence of this particular position - one on top of him, the others either side - and as much as he’d wanted a re-do at joining them, a chance to shove everything down and just take what he could get, he knew if he shoved it down once that he’d never be able to tell them, could never run the risk of letting them down once hed promised them all of him, and for fuck’s sake he couldn’t  _ move. _

He’d promised Julie he’d be sensible if this ever happened, that he’d consider his options and make a rational decision. 

“I have to go,” he said, scratching at the base of his throat and hoping it looked casual and not like he couldn’t breathe. “I’m sorry, i really am, but i can’t… i need - I have to, Reg, I’m real - I’m really sorry, hon, but i can’t-”

Reggie scrambled off of him and straight into Luke’s side, eyes wide and hurt in a way Bobby had  _ never _ been the cause of. “I don’t… Bobbit, i thought - I don’t understand.”

Bobby stumbled to his feet and grabbed his jacket. “You fuck like bunnies!” He said, instead of the gentle let-dwon he’d been planning. 

Alex frowned, eyes emotionless like he’d locked his emotions away to feel when he wasn’t around someone who could hurt him. “Excuse me?”

“I- You fuck like bunnies, and I know you do because we always stay in adjacent hotel rooms on gig-nights and it’s loud and you go for hours and I’m not - I don’t- I don’t like that kind of thing, and I hate feeling like i can’t move, and tongues in my mouth make me want to throw up, and I’ve never wanted to be anything close to naked around another person in my life, and I’ve sort of come to terms with that, but - but..” He paused, staring at the ceiling in the hope that gravity would fuck off and let him get through this without crying. “But you guys do want that kind of stuff, and it’s not a right-person thing because, because i’ve been in love with all three of you probably since I met you, and it’s just, it’s just never happened for me.”

Luke blinked, lip chewed near bloody. “I don’t underst- why are you talking about sex?”

“He thinks we won’t want him because he doesn’t want sex,” Alex realised eventually, arms crossed over his chest, but expression achingly soft. “I’m - obviously that’s not true, and - and, I don’t want to make this about us, because your coming out is about you, but,  _ Bobby _ ,  _ sweetheart _ , we have  _ never _ loved you for what you can give us, we just love you.”

“I know you love me.” Bobby nodded, gripping the collar of his jacket to stop his hands shaking. “I’ve known for years, but don’t you get it? I’m not - you don’t… I’m not  _ good _ for you. I’m awful at bringing you off the edge, and I’m not gentle enough to help with Reggie’s flares, and-and, I’m too stationary for Luke, and I can’t - if I lose one of you, I lose all of you in one go, but you  _ won’t,  _ and you’ll be able to get past it, but I won’t, and I have been on the sidelines since the beginning, I can take it. But I’m never gonna want what you want, and one day you’re gonna get sick of that, and that? I won’t be able to take that.” 

Reggie sat down heavily, where Bobby had been just minutes earlier. “When i was fifteen, i got my first ever flare, the first person I called was Alex.”

Bobby nodded jerkily. “I don’t-”

“Just, shut up and let me talk, okay?” Reggie asked, exhaling heavily when Bobby aqcuiseced. “He had a panic attack so bad that when I managed to call you and you drove us to the ER, he had to get seen as well as me. And, when i was seventeen, my dad took me to the movie theatre for my birthday and yelled at me for the whole drive there, and I couldn’t get in the car with him to go home, and I called you, and you sang this stupid fucking country song for the whole drive to your place, and you baked the worst cake in the world, and when i said i hated him, you said that was okay, but not to hate him so hard that i ended up hating myself for loving him, too. And, when i was twenty-one, someone set off a surprise firework at the album reveal, and i flinched so hard i broke a glass, and you got someone to get me ear defenders from a Soundbooth and stayed behind to clean everything up and make it clear that if we were to be somewhere, there couldn’t be shit like that. You don’t even try to touch me, or assume you can make things better, you just fix the problem and take care of what’s left, and there is nothing that could stop me loving you for that.”

Bobby scrubbed a hand over his face furiously. “I can’t-“

“Bobby, baby,” Luke said gently. “C'mere, please?”

“Luke, I’m-” He gave a token protest, but obliged anyway, letting Luke push him down so he was sat on the arm of the chair, Reggie quickly resting his head against his hip. 

“What do you imagine a relationship with us to look like?” Luke asked, ruffling Bobby’s hair gently. “Don’t give me that look, man, just tell me.”

Bobby sighed, but leaned into it. “Um. I don’t know. Living together, eventually? Alex making those fucking oat waffles like they’re any healthier than normal ones, Reg frying enough bacon to induce instant CHD, you singing whatever song you dreamed up, me throwing shit at you. Going to work together - easy, we all work together, Alex drives, control freak - on the days we have work, getting a tour bus with a conversation pit style bed instead of four singles, being super gross when we’re drunk and Willie filming us and laughing at us. Having someone with me when I wake up. Cuddles. Kisses, sometimes.” 

“Sweetheart,” Alex said quietly, drawing his attention. “What does your  _ friendship _ with us look like?” 

“Staying over at someone’s every Saturday,” Bobby replied slowly. “You make the waffles, and Reg the bacon and Luke - “ he cut himself off. “You promise it’s just gonna be like that?” 

“Bobby, sugar, the only thing that changes when you’re not here - asides the sex and actually getting to kiss each other - is that you’re not here, and we get caught up in missing you,” Reggie admitted, leaning back against Alex so he could make eye contact. “And I’m super pressure sensitive, you think I wanna keep up with these two weirdos all the time? I’d  _ love  _ someone to watch Real Housewives with instead.” 

Alex nodded, resting his hand on Reggie’s shoulder. “What did you say when I asked you to stop slamming things, even when you got mad, because it made me anxious?” 

Bobby paused, thrown by the change in subject. “Um. Sure?” 

“And when Reg asked you not to hug him as tightly or clap him on the back because it hurt him now?” 

“Of course? I’m not gonna do shit that makes you guys uncomfortable when it’s a small change,” he replied. 

“There y’go, baby.” Luke wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Neither are we.” 

“I… Okay.” He nodded firmly. 

Reggie lit up. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Bobby repeated. “I’m. In, or, whatever.” 

“So… can I kiss you? I did the romantic speech, I feel like I should get dibs on first kiss. No tongue, or hands in your hair, I promise.” He took Bobby’s hand, but stopped there, apparently leaving it to Bobby to make the first move. 

Bobby laughed wetly and nodded, carefully moving off the sofa and into Reggie’s lap, kicking his legs over the arm. “Sure, you fucking moron.” 

“I am  _ not  _ a moron,” Reggie protested, cradling his jaw. “This was  _ my  _ idea,” he added, then pressed his lips against Bobby’s. 

After a moment Bobby pulled back, vaguely dazed. “Okay, not a moron.”

“Xander, it’s my turn next, and if you argue it, I’m stealing your fucking oats, and you can eat normal waffles like the rest of us,” Luke insisted, eyes not leaving Bobby. 

“...Fine.” Alex moved to sprawl out on the sofa. “But we’re moving to the appropriate sized furniture, and I get cuddles rights.” 

Luke narrowed his eyes, but nodded after a moment. “That’s fair.”

“This is what it’s always like,” Reggie whispered in his ear. 

“I know.” Bobby grinned at him, leaning forward to kiss him against just because he could. “They’re so stupid. I love you all so much.” 

——

“So… how are you?” Julie asked as soon as he got to her place for their usual fortnightly pity session with Chinese. “Anything nice happen this week?” 

Bobby hummed and threw his legs over hers once he’d collapsed onto the sofa. “This guy asked me out, and I’ve decided to give it a shot.” 

Julie’s eyebrows furrowed. “Just… one?” 

“Were you expecting more?” He challenged, waving his fork at her. 

“If those idiots asked you out and you didn’t  _ immediately  _ call me, and you’re now playing with my feelings, I am going to kill you, Bobbit,” she threatened, snatching her chow mein. 

Bobby shrugged, but felt his face split into a grin. “I was busy being attacked with love and affection, for, like, six hours, so...” 

“Absolutely no loyalty in this family,” Julie declared. “Consider me shocked and appalled.” 

“Aw, Julie-bean, can you not me proud of me for being emotionally vulnerable for once?” He protested, sticking his lower lip out in what was probably a weak imitation of Luke’s infamous puppy dog eyes. 

Julie rolled her eyes but moved the Chinese to the floor carefully so she could sprawl on top of him. “Of course I’m happy for you. You’ve finally graduated from longing dumbass to kissed-stupid, and it only took me, Willie, Flynn and Carrie four years to get you to do it.” 

Bobby kissed her forehead. “We would’ve got there eventually,” he said. “I think. But, you helped a lot with surviving long enough for it to happen, so thank you, and I love you.”

“I love you too, but who are you and what’s happened to my repressed asshole of a best friend?” Julie teased fondly. 

“Kissed by a Prince, Julie-bean. Or three.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated if you enjoyed it!!


End file.
